Hong Kong seizes record 26 tonnes of shark fins

Hong Kong Customs say 90 per cent of the fins came from endangered species of shark
Credit: HANDOUT/AFP

Hong Kong customs officers seized a record 26 tonnes of shark fins taken from 38,500 endangered sharks on Wednesday. The cargo was spread across two consignments which had been shipped from Ecuador.

Each individual shipment broke the record for the largest seizure by the Hong Kong authorities, which had previously stood at 3.8 tonnes. The overall value of Wednesday’s seizure was HK$8.6 million (US$1.1 million) according to assistant superintendent Danny Cheung Kwok-yin of the Customs and Excise Department’s marine enforcement group.

Both containers had been brought in by the same shipping company. The 57-year-old owner of the firm was arrested by customs officers, but has since been released on bail.

Cheung said both containers arrived within 10 days of each other back in January, but that the haul was only discovered after they were examined on April 28 and May 4. Officials chose to examine these containers as they noticed they had been marked as dried fish in Spanish, rather than English as is customary when writing in a foreign language.

Each container had more than 300 nylon bags worth of dried fins. Approximately 90 per cent of these were taken from sharks which are considered controlled species. Cheung said at least some of the seizure was for local consumption and destined for Hong Kong eateries and shops.

The shark fins in this seizure were primarily taken from Thresher and Silk sharks, both of which are protected species. However, law enforcement officials confirmed that the value of the shipment would have been much higher had the fins been taken from the highest grade sharks. Under Hong Kong law, Thresher sharks are considered Grade 1, the second highest level for shark fins. Top grade sharks include Hammerhead and Mako sharks.

Gloria Lai Pui-yin, senior conservation officer for sustainability with the environmental group WWF-Hong Kong, said: “It could be that traders are seeing a chance to ship the shark fins while government officials in other countries are preoccupied with efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.

There has been a sharp rise in the number of seizures of shark fins in Hong Kong in 2020 compared to previous years. In 2019, 12 tonnes of banned fins worth HK $8.9 million were taken and 13 individuals were arrested.

Under the Protection of Endangered Species of Animals and Plants Ordinance, importing, exporting or possessing endangered species without a licence carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail and a HK$10 million fine.